Joshuachapter 21
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A.The Levites ask for the towns they were promisedvv. 1-8
1 Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel 2 at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.” 3 So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance: 4 The first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5 The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 6 The descendants of Gershon received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7 And the descendants of Merari received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 8 So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these cities, together with their pasturelands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
B.Cities for Aaron's sons and the rest of Kohathvv. 9-26
9 From the tribes of Judah and Simeon, they designated these cities by name 10 to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them: 11 They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pasturelands, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the father of Anak.) 12 But they had given the fields and villages around the city to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession. 13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah, 14 Jattir, Eshtemoa, 15 Holon, Debir, 16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh—nine cities from these two tribes, together with their pasturelands. 17 And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba, 18 Anathoth, and Almon—four cities, together with their pasturelands. 19 In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. 20 The remaining Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted these cities: 21 From the tribe of Ephraim they were given Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the manslayer), Gezer, 22 Kibzaim, and Beth-horon—four cities, together with their pasturelands. 23 From the tribe of Dan they were given Elteke, Gibbethon, 24 Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon—four cities, together with their pasturelands. 25 And from the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Taanach and Gath-rimmon—two cities, together with their pasturelands. 26 In all, ten cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.
C.Gershon and Merari receive their pasture landsvv. 27-42
27 This is what the Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: From the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah—two cities, together with their pasturelands. 28 From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kishion, Daberath, 29 Jarmuth, and En-gannim—four cities, together with their pasturelands. 30 From the tribe of Asher they were given Mishal, Abdon, 31 Helkath, and Rehob—four cities, together with their pasturelands. 32 And from the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for the manslayer), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan—three cities, together with their pasturelands. 33 In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the Gershonite clans. 34 This is what the Merarite clan (the rest of the Levites) were given: 35 From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, and Nahalal—four cities, together with their pasturelands. 36 From the tribe of Reuben they were given Bezer, Jahaz, 37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath—four cities, together with their pasturelands. 38 And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim, 39 Heshbon, and Jazer—four cities in all, together with their pasturelands. 40 In all, twelve cities were allotted to the clans of Merari, the remaining Levite clans. 41 For the Levites, then, there were forty-eight cities in all, together with their pasturelands, within the territory of the Israelites. 42 Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.
D.Not one word of all the good promises failedvv. 43-45
43 Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it. 44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.
Chapter summary
The heads of the Levites approach at Shiloh and receive what Moses commanded: forty-eight cities with their suburbs, drawn by lot out of every tribe's inheritance.
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Chapter summary
The heads of the Levites approach at Shiloh and receive what Moses commanded: forty-eight cities with their suburbs, drawn by lot out of every tribe's inheritance.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
The heads of the Levites approach at Shiloh and receive what Moses commanded: forty-eight cities with their suburbs, drawn by lot out of every tribe's inheritance. The sons of Aaron get thirteen in Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin: Hebron among them, with its fields and villages still Caleb's; the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites take the rest, scattering the priestly tribe through every part of Israel. The chapter closes with the book's great summary of faithfulness: Jehovah gave them rest round about, not a man of their enemies stood before them, and 'there failed not aught of any good thing which Jehovah had spoken' (21:45).
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.
Context
History · Joshua — Joshua overview
- A. 1–8 The Levites ask for the towns they were promised
- B. 9–26 Cities for Aaron's sons and the rest of Kohath
- C. 27–42 Gershon and Merari receive their pasture lands
- D. 43–45 Not one word of all the good promises failed
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
1 Chronicles 617 verses
- 1 Chronicles 6:54Now these were the territories assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan for their settlements, because the first lot fell to them:
- 1 Chronicles 6:55They were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands.
- 1 Chronicles 6:58Hilen, Debir,
- 1 Chronicles 6:59Ashan, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, together with their pasturelands.
- 1 Chronicles 6:60And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. So they had thirteen cities in all among their families.
- 1 Chronicles 6:65They assigned by lot the cities named above from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
- Read 1 Chronicles 6: 11 more there →
Joshua 198 verses
- Joshua 19:11The border of their inheritance stretched as far as Sarid. It went up westward to Maralah, reached Dabbesheth, and met the brook east of Jokneam.
- Joshua 19:12From Sarid it turned eastward along the border of Chisloth-tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia.
- Joshua 19:15It also included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem. There were twelve cities, along with their villages.
- Joshua 19:25Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,
- Joshua 19:35The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,
- Joshua 19:42Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,
- Read Joshua 19: 2 more there →
Joshua 218 verses
- Joshua 21:3So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
- Joshua 21:4The first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
- Joshua 21:5The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
- Joshua 21:8So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these cities, together with their pasturelands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
- Joshua 21:13So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah,
- Joshua 21:20The remaining Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted these cities:
- Read Joshua 21: 2 more there →
Joshua 158 verses
- Joshua 15:10The border curled westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), went down to Beth-shemesh, and crossed to Timnah.
- Joshua 15:13According to the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)
- Joshua 15:42Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
- Joshua 15:48These were in the hill country:
- Joshua 15:49Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir),
- Joshua 15:50Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,
- Read Joshua 15: 2 more there →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
Joshua 104 verses
- Joshua 10:3Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
- Joshua 10:12On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
- Joshua 10:23So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
- Joshua 10:29Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah.
- Read Joshua 10 →
Joshua 183 verses
- Joshua 18:1Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,
- Joshua 18:13From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon.
- Joshua 18:24Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve cities, along with their villages.
- Read Joshua 18 →
Joshua 202 verses
- Joshua 20:7So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
- Joshua 20:8And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.
- Read Joshua 20 →
Joshua 142 verses
- Joshua 14:1Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel.
- Joshua 14:13Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.
- Read Joshua 14 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.